Unit 2 Assignment: Supporting Paragraph (ENG110 College Writing)

ENG110 – College Writing

Unit 2 Assignment: Supported Paragraph

Due Date: 11:59 p.m. EST, Sunday, of Unit 2
Points: 100

Overview:
Read this article: Debate on Face Masks Divides Air-Travel Industry

• Gangitano, A. (2020, August 6). Debate on face masks divides air-travel industry. The
Hill, https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/510791-debate-on-face-masks-divides-
air-travel-industry

You will be creating one paragraph that answers the following question:

• Why or why not should passengers be required to wear a face mask on a plane?

You will write that paragraph in third person (he, she, they, one, it, people) and
not use first (me, us, our, we, my, I) or second person (you, your). Most
academic writing is done in third person rather than first or second person
because the writing is more objective.

The key to this assignment is to make sure that the seven-to-nine sentence

paragraph you write only has one topic and includes evidence to support that

topic. Review the Citing Evidence interactive in this unit for information on how to

include a direct quote in your work. Your evidence should go in the middle of the

paragraph so that you can completely introduce it and explain how it supports

your topic. (See step-by-step instructions about creating a paragraph with

evidence.)

Instructions:

Answer the question above in one paragraph comprised of at least seven (7) to nine (9)
sentences. You should use one direct quote from the article.

1. First, begin your paragraph with a clear topic sentence that states where you

stand on the question above.

2. Next, include supporting sentences that explain and prove your topic. Next,
remember to not use the words “me,” “I,” “us,” “we,” “our,” “you,” and “your”.

3. Then, in the center of your paragraph, include a direct quote from the reading as

one piece of evidence to support your topic with an in-text citation that looks like
this: (Gangitano, 2020, p. #).

https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/510791-debate-on-face-masks-divides-air-travel-industry

https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/xid-46080404_1

4. Finally, comment on and explain the quotation and wrap up your paragraph with
a concluding sentence.

Requirements:

• Please submit a Microsoft Word document or PDF.

• Include a title page, a proper font case per APA standards (Times New Roman
12 font is suggested), and a references page. The document should have 1-inch
margins and should be double-spaced.

• The direct quote should be included within the center of the paragraph (as
opposed to at the start or end).

• Use objective third-person language: “he,” “she,” “it,” “him,” “her,”

“himself,” “herself,” “itself,” “they,” “them,” “their,” “themselves.” (Avoid

subjective language such as “I,” “me,” “you,” “we,” “us,” etc.)

• The paragraph should be at least seven (7) sentences in length.

• Follow proper APA formatting when citing the quote and include the article’s

reference double-spaced on a reference page. For the reference page,
simply label the last page of your document References and add this
reference:

o Gangitano, A. (2020, August 6). Debate on face masks divides air-
travel industry. The Hill,
https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/510791-debate-on-face-
masks-divides-air-travel-industry

• When using a reference, you indent after the first line
of the reference (as seen above).

Be sure to read the criteria by which your work will be evaluated before you
write and again after you write.

Evaluation Rubric for Supported Paragraph Assignment

CRITERIA Novice Emerging Competent Exemplary

Direct
Quoting

(0–14 Points) (15–19
Points)

(20–22
Points)

(23–25 Points)

Direct quoting is
not incorporated in
the paragraph or
does not relate to
the topic of the
paragraph. No in-
text citations are
used.

Direct quoting
is attempted but
is not
incorporated in
the paragraph
correctly. In-text
citations may
not be included
or may not be
properly
formatted.

Direct quoting is
present in the
paragraph and
offers basic
support to the
topic of the
paragraph.
In-text citations
include very
few errors.

Direct quoting is
present, is
incorporated
properly, and
supports the topic
of the paragraph.
In-text citations
are included and
properly
formatted.

Topic and
Supporting
Sentences

No topic sentence
is used to focus
the paragraph,
and the overall
paragraph does
not have a clear
topic, is not
formatted as a
paragraph, and
includes no
supporting
sentences.

A topic sentence
is attempted to
focus the
paragraph but is
at times either too
general or too
specific. The
paragraph itself
sometimes gets
off-topic and/or
includes
supporting
sentences that do
not relate to the
topic.

A topic sentence
is attempted to
focus the
paragraph and is
generally well
crafted. The
paragraph itself
sometimes gets
off-topic and/or
may include some
supporting
sentences that
could relate better
to the topic.

A topic sentence
is attempted that
effectively focuses
the paragraph.
The paragraph
itself stays
consistently on
topic and includes
supporting
sentences that
relate well to the
topic.

Objective
Voice

(0–11 Points) (12–15
Points)

(16–17
Points)

(18–20 Points)

The writer’s voice
is not objective.
First and second
person are used
consistently.

The writer’s
voice is not
always objective.
Third person is
used incorrectly,
and first/second
person is often
used.

The writer’s
voice is mostly
objective, using
third person and
only occasionally
slipping into first
or second person.

The writer’s
voice remains
objective, using
third person
without slipping
into first or
second person.

Paragraph
Length

(0–5 Points) (6–7 Points) (8 Points) (9–10 Points)

Paragraph is only
one sentence.

Paragraph is
between 2 and
4 sentences.

Paragraph is
between 5 and
6 sentences.

Paragraph is at
least 7 sentences
in length.

CRITERIA Novice Emerging Competent Exemplary

APA Format APA format is not
followed.

APA format is
sometimes
followed.

APA format is
mostly followed.

APA format is
followed.

Grammar and
Mechanics

Writing is hard to
understand
because of errors
in grammar,
spelling, and
punctuation.
Word choice is
inappropriate for
an academic
setting. Sentence
structure is often
unclear.

Writing is
sometimes difficult
to understand
because of
several errors in
grammar,
punctuation, and
spelling. Word
choice is
sometimes
inappropriate for
an academic
setting. Sentence
structure is
sometimes
unclear.

Writing is easy to
understand
despite minor
errors in
punctuation,
spelling, and
grammar.
Appropriate
word choice is
used for an
academic
setting.
Sentence
structure is
mostly clear.

Writing is free of
almost all
punctuation,
spelling, and
grammar errors.
Appropriate word
choice is used for
an academic
setting. Sentence
structure is clear.